Op-Ed: The Andrew Marr show can be a mixed bag these days and is accused by opposing camps of either being left-leaning or right-leaning on the political spectrum.

It can be uncomfortable viewing and these days is not my must see Sunday show. Aired at 9am it is early viewing for a Sunday but since the run-up to the May 7 General Election and the Conservative win has to this left leaning English woman been too biased toward the Tories.

Catching the last section of the July 5 show it was Chancellor George Osborne being interviewed and of course one topic was Wednesday's upcoming emergency post-election budget.

Osborne was allowed to deliver his pro Tory message without ruffles or tough questions although Andrew Marr did make the occasional challenge.

In the end it was more like a pre-budget party political broadcast than a tough interview aimed at sorting the wheat from the chaff or the truth from the spin.

Osborne at one point used Greece as a reason why tough austerity measures must be implemented; he claimed fondness for the people of Greece but said a succession of basically crap governments in that country had been its downfall.

He used Greece to push vague reasons for ensuring the UK is fiscally responsible and does not damage business but was it anything more than eloquent political spin?

There have been a series of pre budget leaks and predictions about what the Chancellor's budget will deliver Wednesday but some indicate it will remain more about hitting the poorest of the UK.

As the Guardian reported Friday "Inheritance tax giveaway to feature in first Tory budget alongside welfare cuts". All but the wealthiest households in the UK will be lifted out of inheritance tax.

Once again Tory priorities are telling.

"Budget to cut 'housing subsidies' for higher earners" reports the BBC which may hit some Tory voters but think about it. The fat-cats of the UK do not live in social housing do they?

Of course any newly elected government wants to keep at least some of its core promises to keep its voters on board. If you have been elected on a series of promises and fail on each one the electorate should remember the next time you want their support.

In the run-up to the 2010 General Election the Tories promised they would not raise VAT, value added tax, but it was one of the first things they did. It was raised to 20% where it remains with little likelihood of a reduction but every chance of a further increase maybe indirectly by what comes under the VAT umbrella.

But VAT was never going to be high on the agenda of hard-line Tory voters.

It is something that again hits the poorer sections of the UK and is indirect taxation which is glossed over when the Chancellor announces other direct taxation cuts.

Osborne is good at political spin and he was on top form as far as that goes Sunday; he faced few if any real challenges from Andrew Marr which of course helped.

The Welfare budget will be capped at £23,000 in Wednesday's budget but it will be less outside of London. That is a reduction from £26,000 with obvious implications.

While that may sound a lot it is a misleading figure.

We are all individuals with individual needs.

What will say it all about his new government is if the expected 'welfare' or to give it its proper name 'social security' cuts include attacks on the incomes of vulnerable and disabled people.

"Separately, the chancellor is under pressure from a group of about 160 Conservatives to reduce the top rate of tax further for those earning more than £150,000 a year from 45p to either 42p or 40p" but will he feel able to deliver that while announcing Social Security cuts worth £12 billion or more?

This is Osborne's first pure and simple Tory budget; previously he has been held in check by Liberal Democrats who were part of a five-year coalition.

This budget is down to Osborne, with a little help from PM David Cameron as he noted Sunday; but who else is pulling the Tory strings?

The budget on Wednesday will be shaking the ground for poor and disabled people. Being already down in a hole and £12billion Welfare cuts on top of it. Don't forget, it is called a Welfare cut which already indicates the poor and disabled. I also will not be surprised if they cut the tax to 40 per cent. Why on earth do the fatcats get child allowance, winter heating allowances and other allowances? It is absolute lunacy. They should cut that at first

Reply

Eileen

5/7/2015 09:43:47 am

Thanks Hannah

As they try to save money while getting some 'gains' for themselves it will be interesting to see what gets slashed.

Why free school meals for all kids of a certain age even those with very wealthy parents etc

Those floating voters who fell into the Tory trap and sucked up the election spin will be kicking themselves all too soon

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